How to choose a mattress? What is the best mattress? We know choosing a mattress can be daunting – especially since it’s probably been a while since your last trip to the mattress store. We’re here to help make sense of it all and provide you with everything you need to know so you can find the best mattress to buy for your lifestyle and budget. It’s time to buy a new mattress if: You wake up with aches and pains that dissipate throughout the day. Your arms or shoulders fall asleep throughout the night, or you wake up tossing and turning. Your mattress shows visible signs of wear and tear, such as sagging or the sides breaking down. You feel the coils when lying on your bed. You hear noises/creaks on your mattress when moving around. You roll toward the middle of the bed at night, or you easily roll off the edge of the bed. No matter what the temperature in your bedroom, you always seem to feel too hot in bed. Your mattress is more than eight years old – check the tag to determine the age of your mattress.
You’ve outgrown your current mattress size or are in need of a larger one. (Tip: If you’re an expecting parent, check out these tips to sleep for pregnant mothers!). Complete this checklist before your visit to the mattress store and bring it with you to help narrow your search. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – that’s what the sales representatives, known as sleep consultants at Mattress Firm, are there for! SIZE: To identify the correct mattress size for your space, consider the following: The mattress should be longer than the tallest person sleeping on it. The bed width should allow enough space to fold your arms behind your head without going beyond the mattress edge or touching your partner’s elbows (for two adults, we recommend either a queen or a king). Full size bed / Double mattress Not sure which size is right for you? Click here for a little more info on choosing the right mattress size. Do you need a box spring or foundation for your mattress?
☐ Yes ☐ No BUDGET: Determine a budget you’re comfortable with and let your salesperson know so he or she can direct you to the best mattress options in your price range. Not sure how much you should spend for a good quality mattress? As a general rule with mattresses, you get what you pay for – the higher the quality, the better the comfort, support and durability. However, it’s important to choose a model that suits your needs and your pocketbook. We recommend the “eight days of pay for eight years” model: Take one day’s pay and multiply it by eight. That’s how much you should spend on a mattress that will last eight years. If you don’t plan on keeping your mattress that long, or it’s going to be a guest mattress that will be used less often, you may consider spending less, but consider using this equation to find your ballpark price range. The least I will spend is $___________ The most I can spend is $__________ I [am / am not] willing to consider floor models and and other clearance options.
TEST-DRIVE: Once your salesperson has shown you some different mattress brands within your size/budget range, test out your mattress options by laying on each side (back, stomach, left side, right side) for about five minutes per side (20 minutes total). We know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to lay on a bed in front of my fellow shoppers?” Don’t worry – we see it all the time, and it’s an important step in the shopping process. Some questions to ask yourself as you test drive each mattress include: Do I prefer a firm or soft mattress? Refer to this five levels of comfort guide if you’re not sure. Which mattress brand do I trust the most? Check out this list of our most trusted mattress brands if you need more information. What features can I live without? What features can I NOT live without? (For example: hybrid mattress only, must be memory foam, etc.) Take any relevant notes about what you liked/didn’t like about each one here: Is shipping and/or delivery included?
☐ Yes ☐ No, it costs $________ Will they dispose of my old mattress for me when they bring the new one? Is there a charge for that? ☐ No ☐ Yes, it costs $________ Is recycling my old mattress an option and can they recycle it for me? How long will it take to get my new mattress delivered to me? RETURN POLICY / WARRANTY: o What is the return policy? Is there a return fee, restocking fee or any penalty fees? ☐ No ☐ Yes, it will cost $________ What does the warranty cover? Will it be voided due to stains or tears caused by use? (Tip: To protect against regular wear and tear and extend the life of your mattress you may consider purchasing a quality mattress cover.) Make sure you understand what your warranty covers and take any relevant notes here: Once you have found the perfect mattress you are more than half way there! Here are some essential bedding accessories to help complete your sleep sanctuary. If you find you’re too hot at night, or your partner wakes you up with his or her tossing and turning, check out today’s high tech sleep products that have set out to solve these common issues:
We receive free products to review and participate in affiliate programs, where we are compensated for items purchased through links from our site (at no cost to the buyer). See our disclosure page for our list of comped products and affiliate programs. I wrote about the best mattress for couples, but that was really focused on sleeping, not sex. People asked me about the best mattress for sex after foam mattresses became more popular – which can end up being really bad for sex (though good for sleeping). Of course, you don’t want to pick a mattress solely based on how it is during sex, but it is an important factor for some. Below, I recommend 3 mattresses that are great for sex and are amongst my top reviewed mattresses overall (weight other factors like comfort, support, durability, value, etc). Again, this isn’t the most important factor for a lot of people, but if you’re buying a mattress as a couple, I’d recommend at least giving this a read. My Top 3 Mattresses For Sex Recommendations
These are all high-quality mattresses that also have good bounce, lack of noise, ease of movement, edge support, and comfort. My top picks are: The Love Bed (latex mattress) Leesa (proprietary foam mattress) Personally I think innerspring mattresses are best for sex (most bounce, best edge support, thighs and knees don’t sink in really far), and Saatva is my top innerspring mattress recommendation. Saatva is one of the few online-only coil mattress options, so they are one of the best values (in terms of quality vs price) on the market (learn more HERE). They have three firmness options as well (soft, luxury firm, and firm), all which should be good options for sex. To learn more about the mattress in general read my Saatva mattress review. The Love Bed clearly had this article in mind when naming (and designing) the bed. This is a latex foam mattress from Nest Bedding with a lot of bounce to it. If you’re looking at a foam mattress, latex is generally the way to go to get bounce (memory foam tends to be much slower to respond).
Nest Bedding is one of my favorite mattress brands in general, and delivered a good medium-priced option with The Love Bed. My Love Bed review covers the other pros and cons of the mattress besides sex. Leesa is neither spring nor memory foam; rather it’s a polyurethane foam mattress that is designed to have more bounce. Leesa would not be my first choice if your mattress is only going to be used for sex, but it is an overall great option that is better-than-average for sex compared to other online mattresses. If you like the memory foam comfort/support tradeoff, but also want more responsive foam, Leesa is perhaps the best compromise. It’s not quite the support level of an innerspring, but it doesn’t sink in as far (and stay that way) compared to memory foam. Leesa is also one of the few mattresses I recommend for all sleeping positions, including side and stomach sleepers. Learn more in my full Leesa review. What Makes a Top Mattress for Sex? Bounce– Most people agree that a bouncier mattress is better for sex.
It can help people get into a rhythm that makes sex more enjoyable. It’s fair to say that generally, the bouncier the better. Lack Of Noise– Depending on your home situation, this may be a very big criteria or it might not be a big deal at all. If you live with just your partner in an isolated house, you probably don’t care too much if the mattress makes noise. If you live with a couple of roommates, you probably care a lot about the noise the mattress makes. Ease Of Movement– Having a mattress that is easy to move around in is preferable. This will allow you to quickly change positions and it overall makes for a much better experience. Edge Support– A mattress with poor edge support can be limiting and can mean certain parts of the bed are off limits in order to have an enjoyable experience. Good edge support is a good thing in general, but it is especially so in terms of sexual activity. Comfort– This is a fairly obvious one. No matter what position you are in, you are going to want your mattress to be as comfortable as possible.
An uncomfortable mattress can really get in the way of having a good experience. Now that you know what to look for to find a great mattress for sexual activity, how do the three major types (latex, memory foam, and innerspring) stack up? Let’s go through them here. How The Major Types Stack Up Memory Foam– Memory foam is not very bouncy. Some memory foam is constructed to be bouncier than other memory foam, but generally this type of mattress performs worse than other types in this category. Memory foam, however, is not noisy at all, which is a huge plus. Depending on the brand, it’s a bit harder to move around a memory foam mattress because it tends not to be very responsive. Edge support can also be spotty depending on the density and other factors. Leesa is the mattress we recommended that is (loosely) in this category. Latex– Latex is very bouncy, and that’s one of the main things people love about it. It also doesn’t make much noise.
Because it is very responsive, it’s fairly easy to move around. Edge support can be good, but it really depends on the brand and model in question. Latex is also very comfortable. Overall, it is a great mattress type for sex, which is why we recommended The Love Bed. Innerspring– Innerspring mattresses do have great bounce, and that’s a big reason why people like them. However, they are very noisy, as they make that creaking sound people are very familiar with. It is fairly easy to move around an innerspring bed, so there are no concerns there really. Edge support is generally strong as well. We recommend Saatva from this category for sex. So Which Type Is The Best For Sex? I’ve made some recommendations based on the assumption that your mattress will not be used only for sex. I picked a mattress from the three major categories (innerspring, latex, and memory foam) so that you can choose a mattress that is both great for sex and aligns with your sleeping preferences.